Essay and Author Comparisons

In class we read Eric Schlosser's essay Kid kustomers. In this essay it was all about advertisement companies targeting children for their ad campaigns. In the essay Schlosser analyzed that advertisement companies realized the way to sell products was to direct the campaigns towards children. If the child saw the advertisement and it appealed to them they would begin nagging their parents to get it for them. Schlosser also talked about how advertisements also use catching songs and cute fuzzy and cartoon characters to attract children. Even products that children at a young age were not allowed to have such as cigarettes, the cigarette companies were still developing advertisements that would be directed at young children. Companies would change the packaging around and develop iconic symbols that children would recognize years down the road. They did this because research backed up the idea that even if the child did not get the product at the young age, when they were able to get it they would recognize it from the advertisement they saw when they were younger. Schlosser also talks about in his essay that some organizations disagree with targeting children and that these organizations are pushing for stricter rules to be developed by the government.While strict laws have not been put in place yet people are getting behind the idea and are working hard to make the stricter laws happen.

I also read an except from one of Eric Schlosser's books titled Fast Food Nation. This excerpt talked about a potato factory in Idaho that originated as a small potato factory. Eventually over time the owner of this potato factory came up and developed the idea of frozen precooked french fries. At first it was not a huge success but over time McDonald's got word of it and soon began buying these frozen precut french friends from the potato factory. This same potato factory owner also started a factory to dehydrate onions to sell to the army during world war two.

I found both essays by Schlosser to be very interesting. His writing style for both the essay and the book excerpt were the same. Which was good because his tone was appealing to all audiences and it is easy for anyone to read and understand. Schlosser is definitely an investigative journalist which makes his works very interesting. In this case both pieces of his work are revealing something that is extremely prevalent in todays society. Both pieces are filled with large amounts of information to keep the reader not only interested in the piece but would make them want to learn more about those topics.